In a modern workplace, creating an office that keeps employees happy takes more than a foosball table or a break room bar.

While many executives embrace the idea of building spaces that look fresh, functionality and fit can get lost in translation. Games, glass-wall conference rooms or an extensive collection of K-Cups might be a start. But with so much at stake, it’s critical that companies get it right.

“When younger people are looking for jobs, the salary and the 401K and the benefit package are important to them, but they also care about what kind of workplace they’re going to be in,” says Natalie Flora, principal workplace strategist with Interior Environments in Novi. “What does their desk look like? What are all these amenities and perks they’ve heard about?

“If they’re going to choose a job A over B, they’re going to pick the place that has the cooler workspace.”

Attracting and retaining quality workers is critical for any organization, especially in today’s environment that finds employers competing for top talent. The issue was a recent topic of discussion at Crain’s 2019 HR Summit on Aug. 8, where human resources managers gathered to discuss best practices – including how they can use workplace design to set themselves apart.

Interior Environments builds attractive and functional workspaces that “put your people first, reflect your brand and give your company room to grow.” Since no two workplaces are alike, its team uses a comprehensive approach to strategize solutions that make sense for everyone involved.

“A foosball table was this idea where we’re going to be ‘fun.’ But from a cultural perspective, if someone plays foosball in the middle of the day and the executive is like, ‘Why is Joe playing foosball right now when we have a deadline?’ then it doesn’t work,” she says. “If it doesn’t play into your culture, then it doesn’t get used. You really have to think of what works for your company.”

Workplace design that maximizes productivity and satisfaction for the office community looks different for every business, but the team at Interior Environments has found a few recurring themes when it comes to attracting and retaining top-tier candidates.

Flexible spaces

“The big deal right now is user choice,” Flora explains. “Because of having the technology that lets you really work anywhere, employees are wanting choice. It started with the idea of working at a Starbucks or a Panera.”

Now companies are installing flexible seating and cafe-like spaces that offer the same look and feel. This could include soft seating and table-based applications. Your cubicle, in many cases, will still be there when you need it.

“When people come to work they don’t want to get stuck at a cubicle nine hours a day,” she says. “They can be more productive, be more creative and feel like they’re in a more creative environment.”

And that creative environment is conducive for everyone – not just so-called “creatives.”

“We’ve done projects where it’s an accounting firm, and accounting is all about numbers and productivity and data, but their employees still want to be creative and feel like they’re in a great environment,” Flora adds. “It’s about wanting to go to work every day.”

The perks

From full-service cafes to high-end grab-and-go options, food and beverage perks mean a lot to employees – a theme reiterated among HR managers at the recent Crain’s conference. The same goes for access to complementary light snacks or drinks. Other sought-after amenities include outdoor spaces, workout facilities, in-house child care or “jump-start Fridays” where staff get to start the weekend early, Flora says.

“Whether it’s having company picnics or happy hours, there are so many different ideas,” she notes. “Netflix has an extended paid maternity and paternity leave. Burton Snowboards has snow days when they have a big snowfall. Relating it to your company is really cool. It doesn’t even always play into the physical workplace.”

Keeping up

20 years is no longer enough to stay relevant, Flora points out. Instead, aim for a constant evolution that keeps pace with the way the workforce is changing.

“With today’s workplace design you need to be able to be flexible and adjust and adapt to what those changes are,” she says. “In order to keep up and be relevant, you’re making changes every two or three years. The generations we have coming into the workplace are not as loyal as they were in the baby boomer era.”

Making it happen

Getting from the idea stage of an office renovation to the installation means creating synergies between the various departments involved, Flora emphasizes. While that isn’t always easy – one participant at the Crain’s HR Summit joked that it may require the will to “rise up against the tyranny of purchasing,” for instance – it’s a matter of understanding your company’s needs and being committed to those changes.

“If the executive leadership, HR, real estate, facilities and the purchasing person all align their goals and decide what their overall business objectives are and what their corporate culture is or what they want it to be, then they can take that and work with a company like ours to create the physical workspace,” she says.

Ultimately, working with the right experts is key to getting the right design.

“We have a defined process where we align with our customers and do some really cool discovery sessions to understand what the goals are and what they’re trying to accomplish before we jump into the design of their space,” Flora explains. “As we work with our customers, we really push them to think outside of the box and define what it is they’re seeking so it’s an informed design. It’s so intentful and purposeful and the outcome is so much better because we spent the time to really understand how we were going to solve their problems.”